From a series of minor parts, Pagny moved from cinema to TV. In 1985, he got co-writing credits for Michel Gerard's film "Blessure". Two years later, he recorded its first single "N'importe quoi". The success was immediate for this non-conformist.
He won a Victoire, a prestigious French music award, in 1989, yet the following year his second album bombed following a media boycott. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you"!
After a long period of reflection, he came back on top with his album "Rester Vrai" in 1994. In 1997, his album "Savoir aimer" brought him enormous popularity.
He now spends his time between France and Patagonia where he lives with his wife on a 4000 hectare farm pursuing his two passions: motor biking and fishing.
In 2004, Pagny took on an ambitious project: "Baryton", an album made up of titles of the traditional repertory with an amazing 70 member string orchestra and a 60 member choir under the direction of Yvon Cassar. This album was a true success.
In 2006 with the album "Abracadabra" Pagny returned to more of a pop style and delivered a superb album with poignant lyrics "Le Mur" or "Là où je t'emmènerai".
In 2007, "Pagny Chante Brel", launched a tribute album containing eleven songs by the great singer Jacques Brel.
In 2009, "C'est comme ça" came out as a spanish language album. Recorded in Miami with latin composers and musicians, this worthwhile effort showed the extend of his talent across language barriers.
On Nov 12th 2010, "Tout et son contraire" is Pagny's lucky 13th album. With a french album with songs penned by Grégoire, Calogéro, Pascal Obispo and Marc Lavoine, this album is more conventional fare for this now Miami Resident.
In 2010, Pagny also released Baryton. Gracias a la vida his first of two Spanish albums.
In 2013, Viellir avec toi, 2016 Habana his second spanish album, 2017 Le présent d'abord, 2018 Tout Simplement and 2019 Aime La vie.
Remarquably, since 1990 Pagny's albums have always reached the top 5 in the French market, a remarkable 30 year run.
Pagny is a recurring figure as a judge of the French version of the Voice.
Ailleurs Land
Florent Pagny Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bien sûr celui qui brille et qui inonde
De fleurs de pacotille les grands comme les immondes
Dans ce drôle d'élevage où les dindes farcies
Côtoient les oies sauvages, les farines où on se roule
Ne sont pas animales
Et devant la vitrine, la foule pas toujours amicale
D'oublier de m'attendre
Car ici c'est ailleurs
Ailleurs Land
Et si on te demande dis-leur
Je travaille de mes mains
Je regarde le ciel, je vais à l'essentiel
Ailleurs Land
Avant d'être avec elle, j'ai connu quelques filles
Parmi les plus belles, celles qui scintillent
Qui font des étincelles, quand on les déshabille
Ces grands gibiers de courses, ces perles de magazines
Toujours cotées en bourse offraient des avantages
Images à deux dimensions en long, en large, mais pas trop en profond
Oh, la belle illusion
Et si on te demande dis-leur
D'oublier de m'attendre
Car ici c'est ailleurs
Ailleurs Land
Et si on te demande dis-leur
Je travaille de mes mains
Je regarde le ciel, je vais à l'essentiel
Ailleurs Land
Ici tu vois
On est loin de tout ça
Et toi
Tu retournes là-bas
Moi je reste
Tu dis, tu me regretteras
Et moi
Je n'me regrette pas
Et si on te demande dis-leur
D'oublier de m'attendre
Car ici c'est ailleurs
Ailleurs Land
Et si on te demande dis-leur
Je travaille de mes mains
Je regarde le ciel, je vais à l'essentiel
Ailleurs Land
Et je sais loin des hommes
Pour devenir humains
Ici c'est ailleurs
Ailleurs Land
Ici c'est ailleurs
Ailleurs Land
Ici c'est ailleurs
Ailleurs
In Florent Pagny's song "Ailleurs Land," the lyrics describe the singer's experience of being in a world that is different from the one he knew before. The song starts off by recalling the singer's experience in the world of glitz and glamour. He describes how he has been exposed to worlds where grandeur is superficial and where people chase after "fleeting" objects of desire that sell like hotcakes. The singer then expresses his admiration for living in a world of simplicity, where he works with his hands, looks at the open skies, and focuses on the essential things of life.
The second verse talks about the singer's relationships with women, and how he has been with some of the most beautiful women. However, he expresses disillusionment because those women weren't interested in genuine connections or real emotions. They were simply "two-dimensional images" from magazines, and their sparkling appearances quickly faded when they were undressed. The chorus repeats the singer's exclamation of being in "Ailleurs Land," a place where he prioritizes simplicity by working with his hands and focusing on the essential things in life.
Overall, "Ailleurs Land" is a deep reflection on the singer's former glamorous lifestyle and how he has found fulfillment in simplicity. The song provides a critique of the superficial nature of materialism and the fleeting nature of desire. The chorus constantly reaffirms the singer's newfound identity and the place where he feels at home.
Line by Line Meaning
Avant de vivre ici, j'ai connu quelques mondes
Before living here, I experienced a few worlds.
Bien sûr celui qui brille et qui inonde
Of course, the one that sparkles and floods.
De fleurs de pacotille les grands comme les immondes
With fake flowers, both grand and hideous.
Dans ce drôle d'élevage où les dindes farcies
In this strange breeding where stuffed turkeys...
Côtoient les oies sauvages, les farines où on se roule
...coexist with wild geese and powders that we roll.
Ne sont pas animales
They are not animals.
Et devant la vitrine, la foule pas toujours amicale
And in front of the window, the crowd is not always friendly.
Et si on te demande dis-leur
And if they ask you, tell them...
D'oublier de m'attendre
...to forget about waiting for me.
Car ici c'est ailleurs
Because here is elsewhere.
Ailleurs Land
Land of elsewhere.
Et si on te demande dis-leur
And if they ask you, tell them...
Je travaille de mes mains
...that I work with my hands.
Je regarde le ciel, je vais à l'essentiel
I look at the sky, I go for the essential.
Ailleurs Land
Land of elsewhere.
Avant d'être avec elle, j'ai connu quelques filles
Before being with her, I knew a few girls.
Parmi les plus belles, celles qui scintillent
Amongst the most beautiful, those that shine.
Qui font des étincelles, quand on les déshabille
That sparkle when undressed.
Ces grands gibiers de courses, ces perles de magazines
Those big game of racing, those magazine pearls.
Toujours cotées en bourse offraient des avantages
Always listed on the stock exchange, they offered advantages.
Images à deux dimensions en long, en large, mais pas trop en profond
Two-dimensional images, long, wide, but not too deep.
Oh, la belle illusion
Oh, the beautiful illusion.
Ici tu vois
Here you see...
On est loin de tout ça
...we are far from all of that.
Et toi, tu retournes là-bas
And you, you go back there.
Moi je reste
I stay.
Tu dis, tu me regretteras
You say, 'You will regret me.'
Et moi, je n'me regrette pas
And I, I don't regret myself.
Et je sais loin des hommes
And I know, far from men...
Pour devenir humains
...to become human.
Ici c'est ailleurs
Here is elsewhere.
Ailleurs Land
Land of elsewhere.
Ici c'est ailleurs
Here is elsewhere.
Ailleurs Land
Land of elsewhere.
Ici c'est ailleurs
Here is elsewhere.
Ailleurs
Elsewhere.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Pascal Obispo, Pierre-Yves Lebert
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind